Grey Areas & Myths

In 15+ years of experience as both a debt collector using mercantile agents, and as an asset finance manager I have found:

1.           Higher cost for a skip trace doesn't equal better service at all!! Plus I have paid $1300 for a 'locate' on 1 person and they set up a $20 per fortnight arrangement. and managed to get a hold of them the following week myself! Or get recommended extra services ie 'extensive skip trace' for $xx, 'field calls' even though a quick search shows house sold 6m ago it will be a fail, expensive often unserved 'legal action' ...Can't justify spending much unless u know they can afford to pay it back (and u can find them!)

2.           No transparency - they don't like to reveal how little or what was actually done on a file - don't like to give away what they have done. Most of what they do any of us can - problem is finding the time! So if you want a crack like an agent- SEE HERE our basic skip trace/locate process we go through in checklist form. Try it on a couple your agent deems closed and you will be surprised how many they should have found. 

4.           So many companies to choose from, but they all have the exact same service in the end, and barely anyone actually uses outbound call diallers or anything to automatically call/try non answering numbers yet in Australia!

5.           There are so so many different resources available to help find or contact a person that sound great - I have tried many companies and systems now, & paid for so so many different resources (see my testimonials/thoughts here on specific industry relevant products ie Caspar, detective desk, minus, fcs, reverse ph purchase, tica) - and only the odd one here or there actually provided current useful data! Most is old information that just wastes your time checking, no-one has any modern or magic trick or tool to quickly find people that I have found, it's just diligence! 

6.           Recently we have more and more of the ‘Hackers’ and ‘Name Search’ websites and companies online proposing to access anyones account for a set fee just enter your card details, tried a couple expecting a scam and yep not one hit ever!

Outside the box resources/emerging technologies Checkmate will utilize:

-PayID: the bank informs an individual of the privacy implications when they sign up “when you create your PayID you understand that your personal information like your PayID and your name will be displayed to payers.”

-Collecting and analysing public information (OSINT) including Web scraping and Social listening/alert tools including the use of AI/cyber security as it becomes more incorporated into professional services. We also have access to Consumer Financial Data through Equifax previously known as Veda and Basiq, Creditorwatch etc where contractually applicable.

-Call dialler/automated phone number ringer until verified - legal 10 times per month!